Correctional Officers In Need of Correction: April 2010

[XLFD]

Being a correctional officer is a tough, often thankless job.  Good correctional officers rarely get the recognition of achievement that others who excel in their job, just the grief of having to deal with a bunch of dangerous felons who could seriously injure or kill them if given the opportunity.  For those who go through their career in a professional, accountable manner, we salute you.

 

Lately, we have been discussing the grievance of an inmate at the Oaks Correctional Facility up north.  I personally know a former CO from that facility who I believe is beyond reproach, he has even hinted at a 'bad situation' leading to his decision to leave there.  I have sent an even-handed letter to that facility about the prisoner's grievance and have received no response over the last month. 

 

Lately, we have had a new member join who is solidly behind the CO charged with ethical lapses by the inmate, who he has yet to attribute any rights to.  This member has claimed to be a CO himself, and he feels the inmate is lying, and the CO involved is an upstanding CO.  He may very well be right.  The certainty of this member in the innocence of the CO, had me asking why. 

 

I Googled "Correctional Officer arrested" in Google News and came up with many results.  Here are just a few that came up occuring in April of 2010. 

 

Walton correctional officer arrested for felony drug possession
April 13, 2010 7:31 PM
Daily News
DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — A Walton County correctional officer was arrested for drug possession Monday.

Justin Ryan Tankersley, 23, a correctional officer at the Walton Correctional Institution, was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance after an officer found one Xanax pill and seven Valium pills in a Dodge truck, according to a report from the DeFuniak Springs Police Department.
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Corrections officer arrested for dealing drugs
By Vershal Hogan (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Wednesday, April 14, 2010

VIDALIA — A Concordia Parish correctional officer was arrested and charged Monday with arranging drug deals while at work.
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Ex-Ariz. corrections officer pleads guilty in drug case
by Jolie McCullough - Apr. 21, 2010 06:12 PM
The Arizona Republic .
A former Arizona corrections officer who was accused of trying to give cocaine to an inmate pleaded guilty in a Phoenix federal district court this week, officials said.
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Westminster police officer and corrections officer held in kidnap, rape of woman
Police say Det. Anthony Orban is being held in the alleged attack at gunpoint of a woman at Ontario Mills Mall. Jeff Thomas Jelinek, the corrections officer, is accused of being an accessory.
April 06, 2010|By Paloma Esquivel
An off-duty Westminster police detective was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a woman at Ontario Mills Mall and raping her at gunpoint, police said Monday.

A corrections officer from the Chino Institution for Men, who was also arrested in connection with the incident, has been booked on suspicion of carjacking and is being held as an accessory to the crime.
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Corrections Officer Arrested
Last Update: 4/13/10 10:07 am  
  In Rensselaer County a corrections officer is under arrest for allegedly threatening someone with a gun.

North Greenbush police arrested 53-year-old Anthony Holston, he's charged with assault and menacing. Police say he assaulted his victim, then allegedly pointed a loaded gun at them.
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Schenectady Corrections Officer Arrested
Posted on Tuesday, 13 of April , 2010 at 5:48 pm
SCHENECTADY—Yet another employee of the Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office is on the other side of the law.

Corrections officer Ross Lackey,27, has been arrested by Niskayuna police after a woman filed a complaint against him for allegedly striking her, putting her in a strangle hold and taking her cell phone to prevent her from calling for help.

Lackey has been charged with two counts of second degree harassment, a violation; and second degree unlawful imprisonment.
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N.J. corrections officer pleads guilty to providing cell phones to Latin Kings inmate
By Sue Epstein
April 12, 2010, 4:17PM

Matt Rainey/The Star-LedgerA photo of the cornerstone of East Jersey State Prison in Woodbridge.WOODBRIDGE -- A corrections officer at East Jersey State Prison in Woodbridge pleaded guilty today in New Brunswick to supplying two cell phones to an inmate who is a member of the Latin Kings street gang.
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Federal Corrections Officer Charged After Polk Deputy's Car Sideswiped

Published: Monday, April 19, 2010 at 11:59 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, April 19, 2010 at 11:59 p.m.
A federal corrections officer was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident after he sideswiped a Polk sheriff's deputy's patrol car on the side of Interstate 4 last week, the Sheriff's Office said Monday.
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Female Red Wing prison guard accused of sex crimes with two teen boys
Woman allegedly had relationships with two teen boys
By Frederick Melo
Updated: 04/20/2010 12:00:41 PM CDT
She signed her name Peaches and told him she wanted to be the mother of his baby.

It didn't seem to matter to Suzanne Walstrom that she was a 37-year-old correctional officer and the alleged object of her desire was a 17-year-old inmate at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Red Wing.
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Milwaukee County corrections officer held for potential sexual assault of a child
April 8, 6:04 PMMilwaukee City Buzz ExaminerTracey Esser

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, this past Tuesday, a 34-year-old Milwaukee County corrections officer was arrested due to the suspicion of second-degree sexual assault of a child.
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Cops: Fed Jail Guard Was DWI in Wrong-way Parkway Crash

By Timothy Bolger on Apr 19th, 2010

A federal corrections officer from Wheatley Heights was arrested for drunken driving after he drove the wrong way on Wantagh State parkway and crashed head-on into another vehicle early Monday morning, New York State police said.
 

[AQUAMAN]

Well said X, ignoring these type incidents only encourages the same and worse behavior, on both sides. Has anyone heard or seen what the targeted family members have to say now?

[stanstayhi]

XLFD

The two inmates that assulted me would say the same that I was the guilty party but then I caught them with a pile of drugs that they were trying to flush down the toilet. It was no big deal, a partner of mine was beat up catching another inmate trying to sneak drugs in the jail he ended up out on COMP for a couple of weeks and then went to boot camp so he could fight for our country.

When I posted what Mamough had done to get arrested I did to show that it was real strange that he would charge another person with some of the same crap that he pulled. The state is famous for dropping charges to get a person arrested to plead guilty to something so they can put him away. They do it here all the time. Whats the problem I think it is time and money.

[Sweater Cows!]

Wow, negative Nancy you are.

"If she has not killed herself she lives in Florida on pain killers unable to walk!"

Ya ever think maybe this "beautiful lady" was beautiful on the INSIDE and would go on and have a good life without your opinion that she was nothing now that she wasn't all "beautiful" anymore? Are you that superficial?

Many people go through a lot of trauma and stuff, and go on to have a successful happy life. I hope she found someone to love her for who she was and not some superficial prig.

[stanstayhi]

Negitive Nancy? Let me explain something to you she moved to florida so the cold would not get in her bones because she hurt so bad. She will never work again, she stuck in a wheel chair on the max for pain killers for the rest of her life. She could not even sleep in a bed because of her back was destroyed. Lets get something else across she had a personality that would kill I loved talking to her because she was very friendly and a hell of a person. You did not know her and I did. The daughter does not even know what happened to her so you figure what happened.

[Sweater Cows!]

Yep, guys, there are good and bad in all professions. But being in a control/power situation does go to peoples heads a lot more than being in a serving type profession.

In prisons (and life) Narcissism is alive and well on both sides of the fence.

[AQUAMAN]

Go girl, you're on a roll. Power/control/God-complex-like attitudes, we see this in the streets/vidoes of cops and alot of other reality shows too on tv, everyday. There is a code in the tanks from what I understand, and it's that code that seperates the thinkers/doers/common folk, from the system, a system sometimes, many too many times, gone wrong/warped/twisted/cause we can't/mustn't believe the criminal bad boy/girl inmates, we're not programmed that way, that automatically assumes the state is always right and righteous. Along with it's employees. It begs for justice, and truth. Let the chips fall where they may, as long as the real truth prevails, with an independent agency to investigate, and make a final unbiased call. Thanks.

[masonco]

So true.

There are provocative, mouthy c/o's and there are nice ones. Have you ever noticed that some cops, c/o get respect and others seem to be "picked on" all them time?

Those in control can do it one of two ways...
1) Speak softly but carry a big stick. My mama always told me that honey goes further than vinegar. To summarize: When I worked with violent psych patients, we were to ALWAYS show respect but always be prepared for outburst. We were able to talk them down 90% of the time.

2) Demand respect by causing fear and intimidating those beneath you.You can guarantee someone will explode and attack you.

Has anyone ever wondered why Oakes Correctional facility has one of the highest rates of inmate attacks in the state? Yet it is not max security any more. I see #2 the norm at the Oakes so of course prisoners will attack any chance they get.

[XLFD]

I got the impression that Oaks' philosophy may more closely follow #2 also, from sources other than Mumaugh. Approach #1, when applied correctly, works better-- but it can be hard for all COs to buy into that approach without solid leadership from the top and training.

[masonco]

I heard the same thing from 5 different people who used to work there plus a couple who still work there.

[stanstayhi]

I was kinda of wondering where you found the figures to show Oakes Correctional facility has one of the highest rates of inmate attacks in the state? Not that I doubt you but I would like to see what the level for most of the higher level prisons for inmate attacks is.

[AQUAMAN]

You seem to be in the know Mr. Stan, YOU provide YOUR PROOFS of the opposite, ok? Since the MDOC has NO SINS, and nothing to hide either. TRUTH & Justice goes both ways sir! We all know about how snitches are dealt with at State and Local levels, from the obituary columns. Rolls eyes, playing the Devil's advocate...............ugh.

[stanstayhi]

Come on AQUAMAN go back to watching your prison movies, my god dude wake up and take a deep breath. I have not heard that "how snitches are dealt with" . The prison is full of inmates snitching on each other and for that matter the C/Os snitch each other out to in a heart beat. The state transfers inmate snitches around the prison system to tell on bad inmates and C/Os.

I am really surprised that you did not post that really great quote " Snitches get stitches" Do me a favor stop watching the prison movies they are really not real they are just for entertainment!